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I intend this to be a collections of random thoughts, short writings, witty observations, and journal type notes. Amo Ergo Sum losely translates into "I love therefore I am". Isn't life about love anyway.

Polygamist Leader Marries 2 Teen Sisters

Their names were Maria and Sarah Lawrence. In June, 1841, Joseph was appointed guardian of the minor heirs of the Edward Lawrence and trustee for them and of an estate of $3,831. In 1842 both girls begain living with Joseph and Emma in their home. In May of 1843 Joseph married both girls. He was 37 and they were 19 and 17 years old.

I have a problem with this. A 37 year old man taking 2 teen sisters as polygamist brides and he does so from a extreme position of power. He is their prophet, he is their legal guardian, and they lived with him in his home in Nauvoo. Is there some angle which this type of relationship should be considered acceptable? Here is a good summary of the situation:

In June 1841, Joseph Smith, Hyrum Smith and William Law had assumed theresponsibility of the deceased Edward Lawrence's estate valued at $7,750.06.Joseph was named as guardian of the Lawrence children. Somehow during his periodof indecision, William Law found out that Maria Lawrence was sealed as a wife toJoseph; in fact, Law, as he later stated, found Joseph in a compromisingsituation with Maria on 12 October 1843. Two weeks later, 26 October 1843,Joseph ostensibly sealed Maria for time to John M. Bernhisel, an outsider to theLawrence estate arrangements. But in January 1844, Joseph apparently felt thiswould no longer calm the angered William Law. The day after Joseph and William'sfinal confrontation, Joseph began arrangements to relinquish the estate affairsentirely. From the ninth to the twenty-third, William Clayton was working withthe Prophet preparing the transfer of the estate affairs to John Taylor.Undoubtedly, if William Law, one of the appointed trustees of the estate, I'claimed' that Joseph had not only extorted the funds of the estate, but hadalso committed adultery with the eldest child of whom he was personal guardian,that would make an explosive expose.... Law appeared before the first sitting ofthe Grand Jury of the Hancock County circuit court to swear out charges againstJoseph. Law filed charges and presented such evidence that the Grand Juryauthorized an indictment against Joseph Smith for 'adultery and fornication.'While Law made oath that Joseph 'live[d]...an open state of adultery andfornication' with 'certain women,' the only woman he named was Maria Lawrence.Law testified of two dates when Joseph Smith allegedly committed the illegalacts—specifically the one date already mentioned, 12 October 1843, and the otherdate 1 January 1844, the day Law began his diary("Joseph Smith's Introduction ofTemple Ordinances and the 1844 Mormon Succession Question, Andrew Ehat M.A.thesis, Brigham Young University)

Todd Compton's In Sacred Loneliness describes it this way:

The marriage to the Lawrence sisters became public knowledge when William Law,Joseph's second counselor in the First Presidency, became alienated from theprophet......On May 23 he filed suit against the Mormon leader in Hancock CountyCircuit Court, at Carthage, charging that Smith had been living with MariaLawrence 'in an open state of adultery' from October 12, 1843, to the day of thesuit. In response, Smith flatly denied polygamy in a speech delivered on May 26:'[The charges against me are false].....What a thing it is for a man to beaccused of committing adultery, and having seven wives, when I can only findone.....[I can prove them all perjurers.]' As polygamy was illegal under US law,Smith had little choice but to repudiate the practice. (In Sacred Loneliness:The Plural Wives of Joseph Smith, pp. 476-477.)

From the FARMS Review of Compton:

The Lawrence sisters continued to live in the Mansion House after the Partridgesisters moved to other Nauvoo homes. In Sacred Loneliness mentions severalreliable documents indicating that Emma approved and was present when Maria andSarah Lawrence were sealed to Joseph Smith (see pp. 743–44). So the author'stentative conclusion is puzzling: "It is entirely possible that she gave herpermission for these marriages, as Emily asserts" (p. 475). The Lawrence familywas converted in Canada and moved to Illinois before the father died, afterwhich time Joseph Smith was appointed guardian of the children who had notreached legal majority. The Prophet managed the whole estate under courtsupervision. Ex-Mormon William Law gave exaggerated figures in later accusingJoseph Smith of mismanagement